I doubt that many (any?) of us could have predicted what our lives would have looked like this year.  I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s completely frustrated by 2020.  Personally, I had planned this year to revolve around my brand-new studio and several well-deserved holidays.  Instead, so far 2020 has been one of grief and loss, and I know I’m not alone.  We have all had our own unique struggles and emotional journeys.

Ultimately, of course, we are always subject to what is going on around us.  You can’t manipulate your environment, whether that’s the weather on your weekend getaway, or the kind of day your partner has at work.  Everything around and outside you is always out of your control, but you can control your inner world.  Our inner world is made up of our thoughts and perceptions.

In yogic philosophy, we speak often about klishtas.  This is one of my favourite concepts to focus on with coaching clients.  Our gross and subtle thought patterns (vrittis) can fall into 5 different categories.  Some are coloured/painful and others are uncoloured/non-painful.

The 5 types of thought patterns are:

• Right – correct perception
• Wrong – delusion or false perception
• Imagined – fanciful or vague perception
• Deep sleep – absence of conscious thought
• Memory – recalling previous thoughts or events

What you can control:

• Your thoughts and perceptions
• Your choices and actions

Ultimately, your internal thoughts and perceptions will determine your choices and external actions.  The less coloured your inner world, the more positive actions you can take.  Let’s take the fifth thought pattern (memory) as an example.  How many times have you coloured a new – potentially positive – experience by telling yourself a limiting story from the past?

• “I couldn’t do X before so I can’t do it now”
• “If I do X then Y will happen”

Simple example – any time I tell myself that I can’t do a handstand before I lift up, I cannot do a handstand.  Any time I imagine the last time I failed at the pose, I don’t stand a chance of finding any hangtime.  Yet, when I visualise the last time I floated up and felt strong in a handstand, I instantly find stability, confidence and joy when upside down.

When we learn to observe our mind, it becomes really obvious which types of thought we are experiencing. Yogic practices, including meditation, can teach us to observe our thought patterns without trying to interfere with or judge them.

As we are able to clear our heads and finetune our thoughts to become more truthful – the correct perception – we are less constrained by our inner world and able to take decisive action.  We have less anxiety about the future, and reduced attachment to painful past experiences.  Now we are able to be present and see things for what they are (rather than the ultimate worst-case scenario) it’s a lot easier to make better choices and take positive action.

Hopefully you now understand the significance of correct perception.  Once you are able to harness this clear and non-coloured internal vision, your mind is freed up to get creative and make progressive decisions.

I think a lot of us now can benefit from the power of the Pivot.

So yes, this year hasn’t gone to plan for many (any) of us.  How do we now pivot so that we can live meaningfully and still have somewhat of a good time?

For me, I spent a good few months waiting for things to return back to normal.  Each week would see me endlessly repeating the mantra ‘life will return to normal soon, just wait for that’.  Whether you want to categorise that as fanciful imagination or deluded perception, I think we can all agree that those thoughts were coloured and painful!

Instead of staying in a state of delusion and the inevitable inertia, I’m finding ways to thrive in this current environment.

Can’t resume coaching and teaching in my studio yet?  I’m offering outdoor yoga classes to all my clients.  My studio is becoming THE most incredible space to create content and film YouTube videos in.

Can’t have an exotic holiday?  We’re taking lots of day trips to beautiful local scenic spots.

Not able to hit up the gym? I’m growing my collection of home workout equipment.

Note – do not despair if it’s not possible to take massive action just now.  You can fine tune routines based on your new mindset and awareness.  Change doesn’t need to occur in a singular action – often we can add in what I call 5% changes, rather than going all out on (often unsustainable 100%) actions.

We can pivot every aspect of our life once we have cleared our inner landscape.  It is so much easier to make creative decisions when we are able to see and think clearly.